Column: Many ways upcoming in Buffalo Grove area to give back

It's been that long since I visited my youngest nephew, Buffalo Grove resident Jacob Heald, in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.

If you have ever visited a NICU, it is a world of its own. It's a place like no other – filled with the tiniest of babies who, through the miracles of today's modern medicine, are given the chance to survive when they might not have been so lucky decades ago.

Jacob was one of the lucky ones. He thrived and grew into an incredible young man, who now is preparing to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah next month at Congregation Beth Judea in Long Grove.

In a gesture of gratitude to the hospital and staff for everything they did for him as a newborn, he would like to pay it forward and give back to the NICU for his Bar Mitzvah project. Below is a message that he would like to share.

"I came into this world a little earlier than expected when I was born 13 weeks premature (weighing 2 pounds and measuring 13 inches long). My parents told me how fortunate I was to be in this NICU because of the amazing facility and staff that worked there," Jacob wrote. "They helped make a difficult situation better for my family by always having me dressed in adorable preemie clothes and wrapping me in cute blankets (at least this is what my mom told me).

"As I am about to turn 13 and become a Bar Mitzvah, I'd like to use this opportunity to give back to the NICU and provide them items from their wish list to use. I would be very grateful if you could view their Amazon wish list at amazon.com/gp/registry/search (ACH-PR NICU) and possibly donate an item or two to them," he added. "I am also accepting monetary donations and will purchase an Amazon gift card with what I have collected.

"Once I collect all donations, I will bring them to the NICU in person. It's been a while since I've been there, and I'm looking forward to going back and saying 'thank you' for getting me through the first eight weeks of my life. Who knows? Maybe, I'll even see some of the nurses and staff that cared for me! I appreciate anything you can do to help. I am accepting donations through Feb. 24," he said.

In the spirit of giving, there are a couple of community fundraising events coming up that are sure to be a lot of fun.

Buffalo Grove High School's Bison Boosters are gearing up for their biggest fundraiser of the year. The group's popular "Las Vegas Night Fundraiser" will be from 7 to 11 p.m. March 3 at Ditka's, 2000 W. Euclid Ave., Arlington Heights.

All proceeds from this event will support all 28 Buffalo Grove High School sports teams.

Tickets are $50 a person and $60 on the day of the event. The price includes gaming, cash bar and appetizers. There also will be a silent auction, raffle prizes, door busters and a split-the-pot contest.

A registration form and payment information is available at squareup.com/store/bghs-boosters.